I don't know that Samsung are dropping Android but certainly trying remove their heavy reliance on outside OS providers. Also as the linked article mentions they want some of the after sales action with their own app store.

Tizen is closely related to Nokia's Meego platform which at one stage was being developed in conjunction with Intel. So I guess it's no surprise Intel is involved with Tizen as well.

Not a big surprise, gives them much greater control over the software and 90% of people wouldn't realise the difference as long as Samsung kept TouchWiz familiar looking and had some kind of Android app emulation system

Not a big surprise, gives them much greater control over the software and 90% of people wouldn't realise the difference as long as Samsung kept TouchWiz familiar looking and had some kind of Android app emulation system

Shouldn't be too hard I imagine as I understand there's ways now of porting Android apps to Meego.